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While it still needs outside help, UNLV football is doing whatever is in its control to potentially reach the Mountain West Championship game for a second straight season.
The Rebels picked up a second straight win in the conference, most recently disposing of the San Diego State Aztecs, 41-20, Saturday, Nov. 16 from Allegiant Stadium. It went down as the program’s first home win since late September as it improved its Allegiant Stadium record to 3-2.
“What a way to get this team to win No. 8,” head coach Barry Odom said. “It was a goal this week to figure out how to go 1-0 this week.”
In total, UNLV is now 8-2 on the year coupled with a 4-1 Mountain West mark with two more games left on the regular season schedule. As of now, the program is still slotted in the third spot of the conference standings, looking up at No. 12 Boise State and Colorado State who are both undefeated in Mountain West play this season.
Up next, the Rebels will travel to California for a matchup with the San Jose State Spartans. That game is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22 with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Last season, San Jose State beat UNLV in the final week of the regular season ahead of the Mountain West title game.
“We’ve got a quick week this week with a Friday night game at San Jose,” Odom said. “Our guys are built for it. They understand how important it is — the preparation, the recovery.”
Going without a touchdown in five red zone trips last week against Hawaii, gave the home team enough motivation to close the deal this time around. On the team’s second offensive drive of the game, it was stuffed at the goal line from a yard out on a fourth down.
On the ensuing drive, senior tight end Kaleo Ballungay hauled in a touchdown pass from transfer senior quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams. That gave the Rebels a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter.
That 7-0 lead would be pushed to 14-0 behind the second rushing touchdown of the season for freshman running back Greg Burrell. In the same frame, fellow running back Jai’Den Thomas broke the goal line for another score, running the advantage to 21 points.
In total, UNLV rushed for 253 yards on 47 total touches resulting in four ground touchdowns. Before halftime, the team had rushed for more than a century.
Williams also did some damage with his legs to the tune of two rushing touchdowns on his 10 rush attempts for 29 total yards. Through the air, he went 20-for-29 with 244 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought some of the extended plays that Hajj made,” Odom said. “Big time runs, obviously, were the difference in the game.”
All-American receivers Jacob De Jesus and Ricky White III combined to reel in 12 receptions for 143 yards.
”[De Jesus] has been through a lot,” Odom said. “Not only the injury at Boise but a few short hours later lost his father. It’s been hard but our team lifted him up. He knows he has 107 brothers in the locker room.”
Late in the contest, backup quarterback Cameron Friel was able to log some minutes and would go 3-for-3 passing for 18 yards with 15 rushing yards on two carries and a fumble.
Kicker Caden Chittenden drilled both of his field goal attempts in addition to going 5-for-5 on extra points to run his year’s percentage to just over 81%. By doing so, he has now tied the Mountain West freshman record of 22 made field goals originally set by former SDSU turned current Kansas City punter Matt Araiza in 2019.
Special teams was a bright spot as it has been for the majority of the season for UNLV. The aforementioned White made another spectacular play on the punt block unit. He snuffed out the fake punt and would secure the tackle in the backfield, effectively returning the ball back to the offense.
”I told him Tuesday in practices I’ve made some mistakes — probably a lot of them,” Odom said. “One of them I should’ve dual-trained him — I’m not joking. I should’ve trained him at [cornerback] because we got into a position at Hawaii where we got down to two healthy corners. I thought if we lose another guy who can I put in there just to play man coverage? I wouldn’t throw him out there without real reps but I think he can do it.”
The Rebel defense didn’t allow its first points until just before halftime to make it 21-6. It wouldn’t stay like that heading into halftime as safety Jalen Catalon would snag an interception on the final Aztec drive of the first half. That turnover would turn into points as the program took a 22-point lead into the halftime break.
Catalon is now third in the country in interceptions with five on the year.
“[The secondary is] playing really high-level ball,” defensive captain Jackson Woodard said. “They practice that way, I think that’s the biggest thing. This week, their communication was at an all-time high. They all do different things so well.”
That was the team’s second interception of the night. Fellow defensive back Cameron Oliver ended the first SDSU drive of the first quarter with his second pick of the year.
UNLV’s defense held San Diego State to just 14 total first downs while going 3-for-12 on third downs. In addition, the team outgained its opponent 515-270 in a game that saw the home team hold the ball for more than 36 minutes.
“I look down and Woodard has 14 tackles,” Odom said. “Continues to have an All-American run in the way he approaches things and the way he plays.”
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